Q & A with St. Johns County School Board Member Kelly Barrera, District 4

Q: Can you give some insight into the growth that the St. Johns County School District is experiencing?
A: Since 2008, our district has grown by 67 percent, which equates to 19,493 students. To address that, in the last 15 years, we have added 13 new schools and expanded 12 schools. In the last five years, we’ve added five new schools and had three school expansions.

Q: What are the current plans for new schools?
A: The district has a five year plan for new schools that we update annually and for which we must receive approval from the Florida Department of Education. In our current five year plan, we have projected for three new K – 8 schools, one new elementary and an expansion to South Woods Elementary.

Over the summer, we plan to evaluate proposals to build perhaps multiple schools at the same time over a two year period and include their bid with the rebid for K – 8 School NN. By building multiple schools we hope to be able to streamline the process and maybe have workforce and supply cost savings.

Q: How does school financing work in Florida?
A: We get a small percentage of funding ($1.34 million) from state sources as part of capital outlay. Our local sources include the local discretionary millage (which has decreased from 2.0 mills to 1.5 mills since 2008). We also receive school impact fees from developers and school concurrency proportionate share mitigation payments, which are also from developers, when a project doesn’t have available student seats for what the project is expected to produce. Finally, we have our half-cent sales tax, which has helped us tremendously. 

Q: Can you give some insight [as of interview date of May 17] into the upcoming meeting on May 24 to decide if some books are appropriate for school libraries?
A: I believe parents have every right to be aware of books available to their children at school and they have the right to challenge if they feel it necessary. As a parent, before I became a school board member, I challenged a book in our schools. 

Our school district, along with other local, state and national organizations and agencies, is reviewing media collections and procurement procedures. 

If parents are uncomfortable with any book in our schools, they can complete an online form on our website (www.stjohns.k12.fl.uFs) that will restrict their child’s access to that book. If there is material that a parent thinks isn’t appropriate for any student to have access to, there is a Reconsideration Form (also online) that can be filled out. There is then a process where the material would work its way through the school, then the district, and then to the school board for a final decision. There are legal considerations the school board members must follow to make their decision.

Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 4?
A: Congratulations to the Class of 2022! And I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe summer.

Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at kelly.barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us or call me at (904) 547-7510.